Dragonslayer’s Class Regression Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Andrei entered the special compartment.

Since Andrei was an assistant professor at Valhalla, Diego and Aster stood up when they saw him.

“Hello, Professor.”

Zeke asked Andrei while remaining seated.

“What brings you here?”

Andrei put down his bag and sat across from Zeke before answering.

“Deployment.”

“Are you coming along on the Black Demon mission?”

“Yes. You didn’t think they’d send only students on a continental public subjugation mission, did you?”

Andrei currently held the position of mid-rank Draker Knight.

That rank alone was more than sufficient to serve as vice-commander of most knight orders.

Andrei crossed his legs and said while looking at Zeke.

“Do you know what kind of place Delpoa is?”

Of course, Zeke knew well, but since he hadn’t been there in this life, he shook his head.

“I only know what we learned in class. I heard it’s a place where, unlike others, Mages are the superiors.”

Andrei nodded.

“Yes. It’s a place with quite a unique system.”

Aster, who was sitting nearby, chimed in.

“Ah, Professor. Usually knights form the front line and pressure the enemy while Mages provide support, right? But in Delpoa, is this reversed?”

Andrei looked at Aster and answered.

“That’s a very good question. To conclude, no, it’s not.”

“What? So the knights still take the front line like elsewhere?”

“Yes. However, unlike other places, Delpoa’s knights primarily use shields. Their main tactic is to have knights herd enemies with shields while combat mages neutralize them with ranged attacks from behind.”

At those words, Aster frowned and said.

“Oh, wouldn’t that cause heavy casualties among allied forces who are in close contact with the enemy?”

“Sharp observation, Cadet Aster.”

Andrei’s expression softened, suggesting his impression of Aster had improved.

“That’s why they say Delpoa’s knights spend more time practicing running around the battlefield with shields than using swords.”

This was why Delpoa’s Knight Order wasn’t popular among Valhalla graduates.

After all, the Delpoa Knight Order essentially served as a protective wall for the Mage Order.

Diego, who had been listening nearby, snickered and said.

“Even regular soldiers could run around just holding shields yo!”

At those words, Zeke clicked his tongue and said.

“Regular soldiers wouldn’t be able to run around in heavy armor and shields during chaotic battles. To buy time for Mages to prepare spells while appropriately dodging incoming magic, you’d need at least properly trained knights.”

Andrei nodded at Zeke’s words.

“Yes. I brought this up to warn you not to be too surprised when you get to Delpoa.”

Zeke understood well what Andrei meant.

‘Those Delpoa Mages are disgustingly arrogant.’

Mages from Delpoa, proud of being the birthplace of magic, were famous for their strong pride.

Moreover, there were far more famous combat Mages from Delpoa than from the Magic Tower or Nirvana.

As such, Delpoa Mages were familiar with combat magic, and their system was well-established.

However, this led them to view knights as less valuable than dung rolling on the ground.

They saw knights as mere servants who took hits until they could cast their spells.

It was obvious without seeing it, given that 80% of knights who joined the Delpoa Knight Order transferred elsewhere due to conflicts with Mages, and 20% due to harassment from Mages.

However, Andrei’s warning didn’t really register with Diego and Aster.

Zeke clicked his tongue internally while looking at the two.

‘Experience it for yourselves. It’ll be a culture shock.’

* * *

“Are you the delegation from Valhalla?”

A large man with a face full of beard greeted Zeke’s group at Delpoa’s central station.

He extended his hand toward Andrei with an arrogant posture.

“I am Jorge Auter, commander of Delpoa’s 8th Knight Order.”

Andrei, as the escort, shook hands with Jorge.

“I am Andrei Draker, an assistant professor at Valhalla.”

Jorge was startled when the young Andrei introduced himself as both a Valhalla professor and an official Draker, and grabbed the handshaking hand with his other hand.

“I-I didn’t know the Draker family had sent someone directly.”

He shook his head.

“This time, I came as an escort for the students participating in the mission.”

The bearded man glanced at Zeke, Diego, and Aster behind him.

Looking at the obviously young Zeke, Diego who looked like a delinquent, and the sickly-looking Aster, he showed a slightly disappointed expression.

Noticing his thoughts, Andrei spoke up.

“The cadets who came with me are among Valhalla’s finest talents. There won’t be any issues with the mission.”

Jorge hid his doubtful look and led Andrei’s group.

“This way, please. The Commander is over there.”

At those words, Diego, who was standing behind, tilted his head puzzled.

“What do you mean Captain? Didn’t that bearded man say he was the Captain earlier?”

Although it was whispered quietly, Zeke poked Diego in the side and said,

“Just stay quiet, Diego.”

Diego was completely lacking in social awareness.

As they went outside the Central Station, there was an elaborate carriage parked in front.

When Jorge approached the carriage, the window smoothly slid down.

Inside the carriage sat a pale-faced man with beady eyes, who silently looked over Andrei and Zeke’s group.

Then he gave some instructions to Jorge before closing the window and having the carriage depart.

Diego nudged Zeke and whispered.

“Don’t tell me, is that the Mage captain?”

Zeke nodded.

After the Mage captain left in his carriage, Jorge guided the group to their prepared carriage.

The prepared carriage was visibly much rougher and lower quality than the one the Mage captain had been riding in earlier.

However, Andrei and Zeke’s group got into the carriage without saying anything.

Soon the carriage departed.

That’s when Diego finally started pouring out his words.

“What the! I’m not saying I want to be treated specially as a Valhalla student! But this! This is too much! We’re even here on a cooperation mission!”

At that, Zeke hit Diego in the shin.

“Ugh! Why aren’t you and Professor Andrei saying anything when you’re both official Drakers yo!”

Zeke looked at Diego and said,

“Didn’t you hear what the Professor said earlier? This is just how Delpoa is, so accept it. They only came out to see us because we’re from Valhalla. If knights from somewhere else came, they wouldn’t have even shown up.”

Andrei also nodded.

“After graduation, when cadets work as knights in the Central Continent, you’ll encounter many unexpected situations. The atmosphere in Delpoa is very different from the cities of Midland, so take good note of what you see and learn here.”

After saying that, he looked at Zeke with fresh eyes.

Although he was the youngest here, he seemed to understand this atmosphere of Delpoa very well.

‘Zeke Draker. Even seeing you up close, I still can’t figure you out. You’re truly full of mysteries.’

Andrei was able to receive Duke’s teachings after breaking his stubbornness due to hearing Zeke’s words.

Perhaps because of this, Andrei had come to feel curiosity and fondness toward Zeke.

He had developed a desire to see his unbelievable growth more closely.

That’s why he had volunteered first to be the leader for this dispatch mission, though he himself wasn’t aware of this motivation.

The carriage traveled for quite a while, moving to the outskirts of Delpoa.

Getting out of the carriage and looking around, it appeared to be a military barracks.

However, the training equipment was unique.

Most of the facilities were only for combat magic training.

“Please come this way.”

Jorge guided Zeke’s group into the barracks.

For the Valhalla students, they were given facilities used by regular soldiers, and for Andrei, they had prepared an empty private room.

‘That seems to have been prepared in a hurry too.’

It seemed they hadn’t expected an official Draker knight to come as the leader, so they had hurriedly emptied one of the knight quarters.

Diego lay on the old field bed grumbling, while Aster had a blank expression as if he still couldn’t sleep.

Zeke, who had been wandering around performing missions since his previous life, had no particular reaction as he had received even worse treatment than this.

However, what worried him was the Black Demon Subjugation mission itself.

‘That Black Demon  bastard, if I remember correctly, he survived quite a long time and made it up to the Northern Continent.’

For Zeke, during this period in his previous life, he had been busy working as a southern hitman.

Even after he destroyed the Mekein Cartel in his previous life and came to the Central Continent, he occasionally heard news about Black Demon, so it seemed they had survived this Subjugation.

Thinking about the Mage captain’s attitude he saw earlier at the Central Station, Zeke thought this might be the natural result.

‘It would be fortunate if we don’t get counterattacked.’

However, in this life, since Zeke had applied for early graduation, he wasn’t sure what kind of influence this might have had, so he thought he would have to face it directly on the field.

At that moment, Andrei came in.

“They’re saying there will be a briefing in the situation room, so let’s go.”

Under Andrei’s leadership, Zeke’s group headed to the situation room.

Inside, they had set up a magical projection showing a map of the area where Black Demon had set up camp and was holding out.

Zeke clicked his tongue at the expensive magical projection equipment.

‘They’ve wasted money unnecessarily on facilities like this again.’

Looking at the map, the mages were planning strategies and forming tactics together.

The knights, including Jorge, stood at the back, quietly listening to the tactics being planned by the mages and focusing only on when and where they should hold their shields and drive back the enemies.

The Mage with sparrow-like eyes, whom they had seen earlier in the carriage, gestured to Zeke’s group with an arrogant attitude.

As Zeke’s group approached, he spoke in an unpleasant voice that matched his appearance.

“There won’t be anything particular for you to do Valhalla cadets. Don’t cause trouble by getting injured in magical crossfire – just stay quiet and go back.”

Zeke’s group felt like blurting out why they had even requested cooperation if that was the case, but they held back.

At the same time, while listening to the Mage Commander’s words, Zeke immediately noticed that their organizational structure was in complete disarray.

‘From what I can see, there are hardly any Purple Knights among them. Only Commander Jorge is at that level.’

It was absurd that there wasn’t a single Blue Knight in the order, but since this was the 8th Knights Order, it seemed they were more like supplementary forces rather than Delpoa’s official knights.

Just then, as the Mage Commander turned his head, he was startled upon seeing the black gloves Zeke was wearing.

He stood up from his seat and said while looking at Zeke.

“Don’t tell me you’re a pureblood awakened one of the Draker.”

To those words, Zeke looked at the commander and said.

“That’s correct, but is there a problem?”

The Mage Commander’s expression twisted at Zeke’s tone.

In Delpoa, it was impossible for a knight to show such an attitude toward a Mage.

However, since Zeke wasn’t just any knight, the commander gritted his molars and said to Zeke.

“…It would be better not to take those gloves off here. That is, if you want to complete the mission safely and return.”

The pureblood awakened ones of the Draker possessed the power to interfere with magical energy, so naturally, Mages wouldn’t like them.

‘They’re being quite sensitive.’

Zeke didn’t particularly respond and quietly let it pass.

After some time passed, the briefing in the situation room ended and everyone began to disperse. Zeke and his group had to wait in the administrative office until their mission began tomorrow at dawn.

As they were about to return to the barracks, someone approached Zeke and called his name.

“Zeke!”

When he turned his head, surprisingly, there stood someone he knew.

“Professor Feinan?”

He wondered why someone who had moved to the Delpoa Royal Institute of Magic Studies was in this remote military barracks.

“Zeke, it’s been so long! Have you been well?”

“Nothing special has happened with me. But Professor, why are you here…?”

At that, Feinan showed an awkward expression.

Zeke felt he knew what it was about without having to hear it.

‘Seems he lost in the power struggle.’

For Mages, having good connections was especially important for advancement.

But Feinan was a born scholar.

There was no way he could have properly endured Delpoa’s notoriously fierce political battles.

“Zeke. Just a moment.”

At that moment, Feinan pulled Zeke aside and took him somewhere.

“What’s the matter, Professor?”

Feinan spoke to him with a serious expression.

“Zeke. About tomorrow’s mission. You must absolutely not go.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Feinan whispered with a hardened face.

“This mission… is predetermined to fail. So. You absolutely must not go.”

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